Rue, known as the 'Herb of Grace", is a native of the Mediterranean region. It is a wonderful ornamental plant for herb gardening. This herb plant has a nice mounding habit and small, very pungent evergreen leaves. Tiny yellow flowers grow above the attractive foliage. Rue will work nicely in an herb garden as well as a rock garden.

During the Middle Ages, Europeans believed in the magical powers of this medicinal herb and it was often placed in doorways to keep evil spirits away. Because of the plant's strong smell, Rue was also used to thwart plagues and contagious disease. Its antispasmodic and emmenagogic properties are actually what make Rue a valuable medicinal herb. Used to cure cramps and encourage menstruation, Rue is a powerful herb that should not be handled by pregnant women. Today, Rue is still considered a special herb in Lithuanian culture, and is given to couples on their wedding day to provide clarity to see beauty in their marriage.

The herb's strong aromatic qualities make a great deterrent to most garden pests including deer, rabbits and slugs and its beautiful yellow flowers are a magnet for butterflies. Rue is drought resistant and acts as an insect repellent, so it makes a great garden companion.

If you have sensitive skin be wary of planting Rue near walkways or where you may come into contact easily with it. In some cases people have developed blisters and welts from brushing against or handling fresh Rue, as the combination of essential oils and UV rays can cause Photodermititis.

Ruta graveolens

Characteristics: A lacy blue-green ornamental with an acrid, orange/poppyseed-like scent. With its bushy growth habit, rue works great as a hedge or border.

Light: Plant in full sun.

Water: Water when dry to the touch. Do not overwater. Rue can withstand minor drought.

Soil: Provide with a well-draining soil of average quality.

Use: This shrubby semi-evergreen perennial is noted for its medicinal and culinary uses, while praised as a deer-resistant ornamental shrub.

Extras: Take care in handling- the oils of this plant are phototoxic!

How to Use Rue Herb Plants

Rue and Romance

Although most of our customers buy the Rue herb for its culinary
value, we have had more than one frantic phone call over the past few years:

“Can you send me Rue, asap .I have to have it for my daughter’s (son’s) wedding, and I
can’t find it anywhere”

Lucky for them, we grow rue commercially for a number of
Botanicas across the country, so we’ve usually go some on hand.
We’ve been known to ship just a few sprigs
from our own gardens.
Wedding are
important!

The one thing we’ve noticed, since we are not shy and are always
interested in our customer’s needs, it tends to be Eastern Europeans, more
specifically Lithuanians, who are in need of this very important herb.
So, we did a little research of our
own:

According to The Baltic Times,“at the beginning of the 20th century, one of the country's
most iconic and widely used symbols was rue.
Rue - a perennial plant with a strong, heavy odor and bitter
taste 's could be found in almost every Lithuanian garden. Rich with folklore
and symbolism, the flower was widely seen as the embodiment of Lithuanian
culture.”

Although known as the "herb of grace”, considered a
flower of purity, it was used as a primitive means of birth control and the
flower was thought to protect a girl from the unwanted consequences of
"trampling a rue garden."
Rue has been referred to as symbolizing patience and endurance, as it is
a long-lived herb.

Since Rue symbolizes virginity and purity, it is important
to wedding ceremonies and brides usually wore a wreath of rue.
Rue is quite easy to work with (as long
as you do NOT cut it and work with it in the SUN )– it can cause
Phytophotodermatitis!

We have yet to create a wreath using Rue, but we found a Create Your Own Rue Wreath that gives you step by step directions.All you need to do it substitute the Strawflower and
Rosemary for Rue.
Make sure to cut
the Rue when it is flowering so that you can mix its lovely, lacey dark green
foliage with the bright yellow flowers!

FeaturesZones: 4 - 11Size: 24"H x 18"SLight: Full sunBloom: Yellow, blooms mid SummerUses: Rue has long since been a great medicinal herb used for antispasmodic and emmenagogic properties. Because of these characteristics, Rue is popularly used to treat menstrual cramps and delays, induce abortions and as a sedative. Rue can also be made into teas or used in salad and has a very pungent odor.Tips: If you have allergies or very sensitive skin, be careful when handling Rue. It can cause an adverse reaction with some people once they get fresh Rue oil on their skin. This can produce poison ivy-like blisters that are activated by UV light, called Photodermititis. Also, because of this herb's abortifacient abilities, PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD NOT HANDLE RUE.

Outstanding product and service! Will be using The Growers Exchange again.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Rue

January 14, 2013

Reviewer:
deana sidney
from jersey city, NJ United States

Rue is used in food from ancient Rome, Greece and in the Middle Ages. I write a food history blog and link to the Grower's Exchange as the place to get hard to find herbs like Rue.

It is slightly bitter but flavorful and looks divine as an accent. Also, it moved inside for the winter beautifully and is doing well with lots of new shoots.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

rue

January 14, 2013

Reviewer:
carol smith
from Boynton Beach, FL United States

I'm having a problem with cats using my flower beds as litter box. I'm planting the rue as a border to deter themthank you for the informationI also love the tomato supports, in zone 10 our veggies are grown in the winter. Vines are doing great.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

Attracts Butterflies

June 30, 2011

Reviewer:
Linda Fair
from Beverly Hills, FL United States

I have found that Rue, as well as curly parsley, dill and fennel, are excellent host plants for the Black Northern Swallowtail. I raise and release.

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

Animal Repellent

April 22, 2010

Reviewer:
Anonymous Person

Rue (Ruta graveolens): Dogs and cats hate the smell of rue. The dried and crushed leaves can be an effective insect repellent.